Searches are being carried out on the River Soar in Leicester (Picture: BPM)
A man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a woman 17 years ago, after police in Leicester received new information.
Malgorzata Wnuczek, a Polish national, was 27 years old when she was last seen on May 31 2006.
She had been catching a bus from her workplace, Peter Jackson Logistics, towards the centre of the East Midlands city.
Her family, including a three-year-old daughter, were in Poland at the time and the alarm was raised when they didn’t hear from Malgorzata, affectionately known as Gosia, for some time.
Despite Leicestershire Police pursuing more than 2,500 lines of inquiry, and a reappeal 10 years on from her disappearance in 2016, the trail eventually went cold.
But the force has now announced searches of the River Soar have commenced following new information from their Polish colleagues.
It has also confirmed a 39-year-old man has been arrested in Greater Manchester on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice.
The river search is being carried out by specialist officers from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) near the Mill Lane Bridge, close to the centre of Leicester.
Known to her family as Gosia, Malgorzata Wnuczek was last seen on May 31 2006 (Picture: BPM)
Officers have issued another appeal for information, saying they believe some members of the city’s Polish community may know what happened to Malgorzata.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs, from EMSOU, said: ‘Malgorzata was 27 when she was last seen. Two days ago it was her 44th birthday.
‘Officers both in the UK and in Poland have remained in contact with her family since she was last seen.
‘Following information provided to us by our Polish colleagues, we are carrying out a search of the River Soar in the hope we might find something that can help us to establish Malgorzata’s whereabouts.
She added: ‘Since the investigation began, more than 2,000 potential witnesses have raised more than 2,500 lines of enquiry, with more than 100 statements taken.
‘But we still do not know where Malgorzata is or what might’ve happened to her.
‘However, I firmly believe there are people out there who do. For more than 17 years, her family have lived their lives in darkness and we owe it to them to answer the questions they have.’
The force has urged anyone who may be able to help to get in contact through its website, quoting the reference 362 of June 2, or by calling 101.
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Malgorzata Wnuczek was 27 years old when she was last seen in 2006.